EP1362090B1 - Foam regulating granulates - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to particulate foam control agents which can be used in detergents or cleaners and to a process for their preparation.

The foam-regulating effect of combinations of paraffins with Bisfettsäureamiden in aqueous surfactant-containing systems is known. For example, European Patent EP 0 309 931 B1 describes suitable particulate foam control agents for use in detergents and cleaners comprising a water-soluble surfactant-free carrier material and a siloxane-free defoamer mixture of 5-60% by weight of soft and / or hard paraffin adsorbed thereon, 20-90% by weight of microcrystalline paraffin wax having a certain melting range and 5-20% by weight of a diamide derived from C _2-7 diamines and C _12-22 fatty acids in finely divided form. The preparation of such particulate foam control agents is carried out by spray-drying an aqueous slurry containing the support material and the defoaming mixture. The defoamer performance of the defoamer mixture is reported to be insufficient when sprayed onto a particulate detergent.

The use of foam-regulating homogeneous mixtures of nonionic surfactant and a foam control system containing paraffin wax and bis-fatty acid amides for improving the manufacturability and product properties of extruded detergents and cleaners is known from international patent application WO 96/26258.

The subject of German Offenlegungsschrift DE 23 38 468 is a detergent with a content of a silicone defoamer, which is protected against interactions with the detergent ingredients. For its preparation, aqueous melts containing the silicone defoamer and a carrier substance, for example polyglycol, are first spray-dried and the resulting particles are coated in a fluidized bed of a solid, water-soluble coating material Mistake. As coating material it is possible to use customary salts used in detergents, in particular tripolyphosphate or carboxymethylcellulose. Such a multi-stage production process is comparatively technically complicated.

German Offenlegungsschrift DE 3128 631 describes the preparation of foam-damped detergents containing silicone defoamers which are microencapsulated. In this case, the silicone is dispersed in an aqueous solution of a film-forming polymer and the dispersion - separated from the other dissolved or dispersed in water detergent ingredients - fed via a special line of the spray-drying plant. The union of the two partial streams takes place in the region of the spray nozzle. Suitable film-forming polymers are, for example, cellulose ethers, starch ethers or synthetic water-soluble polymers and mixtures thereof. The formation of the microcapsules takes place spontaneously in the spray nozzle or by previous precipitation by adding electrolyte salts to the silicone dispersion. The process described is bound to the production of spray-dried detergents. A transfer to otherwise, for example, produced by granulation detergents or other applications, is not possible in this procedure.

European Patent Application EP 097 867 describes a process for preparing microencapsulated defoamer oils by mixing a silicone emulsion with an aqueous solution of carboxymethylcellulose and precipitating the microcapsules by adding electrolytes, in particular polyvalent salts or organic solvents. There is considerable difficulty in homogeneously distributing the small quantities of silicone microcapsules required for adequate foam damping in a comparatively large quantity of washing powder.

German Offenlegungsschrift DE 34 36 194 describes a process for producing a free-flowing antifoam granules by spray-drying an aqueous antifoam dispersion containing film-forming polymers. For the preparation of a granulate of the composition 1 to 10 wt .-% water-insoluble Defoamer active ingredient, 0.2 to 2 wt .-% of a mixture of sodium carboxymethylcellulose and methylcellulose in a weight ratio of 80: 20 to 40: 60, 70 to 90 wt .-% of inorganic, water-soluble or dispersible carrier salts, balance water, allowed one Swelling aqueous solution containing 0.5 to 8 wt .-% of the cellulose ether mixture at a temperature of 15 to 60 ° C until the viscosity of the solution is at least 75% of the viscosity, which is measured with complete swelling of the cellulose ether solution, then dispersed in this solution, the defoamer and spray-dried after addition of the carrier salts and optionally water, the homogenized dispersion. As defoamer active ingredients organopolysiloxanes, paraffins and mixtures of organopolysiloxanes and paraffins are used. The antifoam active ingredient content is 1 to 10% by weight, preferably 3 to 7% by weight. The carrier salt is preferably a mixture of sodium silicate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium sulfate.

European Patent EP 0 337 523 B1 discloses a process for producing powdered detergents which contain at least 5% by weight of anionic surfactant, 20-80% by weight of aluminosilicate and substantially insoluble paraffin wax in water and anionic and nonionic surfactants, which involves the co-spraying or subsequent spraying of the paraffin onto the prefabricated detergent particle as an essential process step. The paraffin wax can also be used in the form of a mixture with nonionic surfactants.

The disclosed in the latter document variant of spraying the paraffin on a prefabricated powdered detergent can be used only with difficulty, if you do not want to use the paraffin wax alone, but in combination with a known to increase its foam regulator Bisfettsäureamid. Such Bisfettsäureamide are generally solid at room temperature and have a relatively high melting point, so that you can handle them or their combination with the paraffin only at elevated temperature of, for example, about 140 ° C in liquid and sprayable form. Falls below this temperature threatens the clogging of the pipes and nozzles used by the solidification of the Bisfettsäureamids. Another disadvantage is that such high temperatures of the Aufsprühmaterials can lead to undesirable interactions with thermally sensitive components of the detergent. In addition, a uniform distribution of the foam control system in the detergent is at risk when it cools quickly as a highly heated Aufsprühmaterial after hitting the detergent powder.

International Patent Application WO 00/36063 has proposed this problem by using an aqueous foam regulator emulsion containing from 16% to 70% paraffin wax and / or silicone oil based foam control active, from 2% to 15% by weight. % nonionic and / or anionic emulsifier and not more than 80% by weight of water. By spraying such emulsions on solid support materials to obtain very effective foam regulators in particulate form.

However, the stability of the particles thus obtained is not always satisfactorily high. Rather, in the production and transport of the foam regulator particles, their disintegration can result in smaller particles or powder which, while still having a good foam control effect, can not readily be uniformly incorporated into particulate detergents or cleaners.

The problem of poor particle stability is solved by the present invention by the adaptation of the carrier material.

The invention relates to a usable in detergents or cleaning particulate Schaumregulienmgsmittel containing Schaumregulatorwirkstoff paraffin wax and / or silicone oil-based, nonionic and / or anionic emulsifier and solid support material, characterized in that the carrier material contains alkali carbonate and a Brønsted acid.

Another object of the invention is a process for the preparation of particulate foam regulator granules by spraying an aqueous foam regulator emulsion, containing from 16% to 70% by weight of paraffin wax and / or silicone oil based foam control active, from 2% to 15% by weight of nonionic and / or anionic emulsifier and not more than 80% by weight of water, to a solid support material, which optionally followed by a drying step, which is characterized in that the support material contains alkali metal carbonate and a Brønsted acid.

It is preferred that the Brønsted acid be in solid form at 25 ° C. It has at 25 ° C a water solubility of preferably at least 100 g / l. Preferably, it is selected from the di- and tricarboxylic acids, their acidic salts, the acidic salts of inorganic acids, in particular NaHSO ₄ , Na ₂ HPO ₄ and NaH ₂ PO ₄ , and mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Brønsted acid is citric acid.

The support material used in the process according to the invention contains alkali carbonate and a Brønsted acid, preferably in weight ratios of from 1: 1 to 100: 1, in particular from 20: 3 to 80: 3. The support material preferably has 40% by weight to 90% by weight, in particular 60% by weight to 80% by weight, of alkali carbonate and 1-20% by weight, in particular 3% by weight to 9% by weight. a Brønsted acid.

The support material may consist solely of alkali carbonate and the Brønsted acid or additionally contain other particulate components, solid and / or formulated in solid form washing or cleaning agent components come into question. These include, for example, conventional powders prepared by spray-drying aqueous slurries of their ingredients, solid oxygen-based bleaches, for example alkali percarbonates or alkali metal perborates, which may be present as so-called monohydrates or tetrahydrates, bleach activators in powder form, for example a tetraacetylethylenediamine prepared by the process of European Patent EP 0 037 026 Granules, anionic surfactant compounds not prepared by conventional spray drying according to international patent application WO 93/04162, containing more than 80% by weight, in particular more than 90% by weight, of alkyl sulfate having alkyl chain lengths in the range of C ₁₂ to C ₁₈ , where Rest essentially inorganic salts and water, enzymes present in granular form, for example an enzyme extrudate produced by the process of international patent application WO 92/11347 or a multenzyme granulate prepared by the process of German patent application DE 43 29 463, in powder form, for example by the process of German Patent Application DE 44 08 360 ready-Soil release active ingredient, powdered polycarboxylate cobuilders, for example Alkaücitrat, solid inorganic builder materials such as zeolite A, zeolite P, zeolite X and crystalline phyllosilicates, and other inorganic salts such as alkali metal sulfate, alkali metal bicarbonate and alkali metal silicate as well as their mixtures. Preferably, the carrier material comprises a combination of alkali metal bicarbonate and alkali carbonate, the weight ratio of which is preferably 99: 1 to 10:90, in particular 95: 5 to 50:50. Preferred alkali metal in the salts mentioned as well as in the alkali carbonate is sodium.

In a preferred embodiment of the process is carried out essentially as described in International Patent Application WO 00/36063 described in a granulation a build-up granulation such that an amount of 40 to 110 parts by weight, in particular 60 to 90 parts by weight of support material, preferably additionally alkali metal sulfate and / or alkali metal bicarbonate, mixed vigorously and granulating an amount of 15 to 50 parts by weight, in particular 25 to 35 parts by weight of optionally heated to a temperature in the range of 70 ° C to 180 ° C heated Schaumregulatoremulsion. Small amounts of water, preferably not more than 10 parts by weight, in particular from 1 to 5 parts by weight of water, may, if desired, also be added after or preferably before the addition of the foam regulator emulsion.

In the context of the present invention, a paraffin wax base is understood as meaning, in particular, a combination of paraffin wax and bis-fatty acid amide. A foam regulator emulsion useful in accordance with the invention preferably contains 15% by weight to 60% by weight, in particular 30% by weight to 50% by weight paraffin wax or a mixture of paraffin wax and silicone oil, 1% by weight to 10% by weight , especially 3 wt .-% to 8 wt .-% of C _2-7 diamines and C _12-22 fatty acids derived Bisfettsäureamid, 2 wt .-% to 15 wt .-%, in particular 3 wt .-% to 10 wt % nonionic and / or anionic emulsifier and not more than 80% by weight, in particular not more than 60% by weight and particularly preferably 20% by weight to 50% by weight of water.

A paraffin wax-based foam regulator emulsion which can be used according to the invention is preferably prepared by melting the paraffin wax and the bis-fatty acid amide in the presence of the emulsifier, if appropriate cooling the melt to not more than about 100 ° C. and stirring in water. If mixtures of nonionic emulsifier and anionic emulsifier are used, it is preferred to incorporate the nonionic emulsifier as described in the melt of paraffin wax and Bisfettsäureamid and the anionic emulsifier not the melt, but before stirring the melt added to the water. When paraffin wax and bis-fatty acid amide are used in the molten, un-cooled form, it is preferable to use cold water having a temperature equal to or less than room temperature. If the melt is cooled before stirring in water to a temperature of at most about 100 ° C, it is preferred to use water at a temperature of about 50 ° C to 80 ° C. Conventional stirring devices are usually sufficient to achieve the uniform distribution of all components and thus to produce the aqueous emulsion useful in this invention; The use of high-speed mixers or homogenizers (for example Ultra Turrax®) is generally not required. The additional incorporation of silicone oil is possible at any point of this process. If foam regulator emulsions are to be prepared which contain silicone oil as the sole foam regulator active ingredient or in comparison with the amount of paraffin wax in a higher amount, it is preferred to first mix the silicone oil with the nonionic and / or anionic emulsifier, add a portion of the water quantity with stirring so that a Forms emulsion of the type of water in silicone, continues to add more water until it comes to an inversion of the emulsion, stirred vigorously and then with stirring, the remaining water to. The emulsion thus obtained may optionally have partially multiple character, the means in the outer water phase also droplets of the original core emulsion of the type water in silicone can be found.

The foam regulator emulsions which can be used in the process according to the invention are stable and preferably have viscosities below 2500 mPa.s at 60 ° C., in particular in the range from 100 mPa.s to 500 mPa.s, measured for example with a Brookfield rotational viscometer, spindle no .2, 5 revolutions per minute, up.

The paraffin waxes in question in accordance with the invention are generally complex mixtures without a sharp melting point. For characterization, their melting range is usually determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA) as described in "The Analyst" 87 (1962), 420, and / or their solidification point. This is the temperature at which the wax passes from the liquid to the solid state by slow cooling. According to the invention, paraffins which are completely liquid at room temperature, ie those having a solidification point below 25.degree. C., and solid paraffins which are solid at room temperature are useful. Preferably, the paraffin wax is solid at room temperature and is at 100 ° C in a completely liquid form. For example, the paraffin wax mixtures known from European patent application EP 0 309 931 may be used, for example, from 26% by weight to 49% by weight of microcrystalline paraffin wax having a solidification point of from 62 ° C. to 90 ° C., from 20% by weight to 49% by weight % Hard paraffin with a solidification point of 42 ° C to 56 ° C and 2 wt .-% to 25 wt .-% soft paraffin with a solidification point of 35 ° C to 40 ° C. Preferably, paraffins or paraffin mixtures are used, which solidify in the range of 30 ° C to 90 ° C. It should be noted that even at room temperature appearing paraffin wax mixtures may contain different proportions of liquid paraffin. In the case of the paraffin waxes which can be used according to the invention, the liquid fraction at 40 ° C. is as high as possible, without already being 100% at this temperature. Preferred paraffin wax mixtures have at 40 ° C a liquid content of at least 50 wt .-%, in particular from 55 wt .-% to 80 wt .-%, and at 60 ° C, a liquid content of at least 90 wt .-% to. The temperature, at a liquid content of 100 wt .-% of the paraffin wax is reached, in particularly preferred Paraffinwachsgemischen still below 85 ° C, in particular at 75 ° C to 82 ° C. It should also be ensured that the paraffins contain as far as possible no volatile components. Preferred paraffin waxes contain less than 1 wt .-%, in particular less than 0.5 wt .-% at 110 ° C and atmospheric pressure vaporizable fractions. Paraffin waxes which can be used according to the invention can be obtained, for example, under the trade names Lunaflex® from Fuller and Deawax® from DEA Mineralöl AG. Foam-regulating silicone oil or, in particular, mixtures of paraffin wax with foam-regulating silicone oil can also be used instead of the paraffin wax. The reference to silicone oil in the context of the present invention also always means its mixing with finely divided fillers, for example hydrophilic or hydrophobic silica, so-called highly dispersed silicic acid. Here, pyrogenic or precipitated, in particular hydrophobicized silica having a surface area of at least 50 m ² / g is particularly preferred, as is commercially available, for example, under the names Aerosil® or Sipernat®. In one embodiment of the invention, silicone oil, for example polydimethylsiloxane, is preferably used in mixtures of paraffin wax and silicone oil in amounts such that the foam regulator emulsion used in the process according to the invention has a content of silicone oil in the range from 0.1% by weight to 10% by weight. , in particular 1 wt .-% to 5 wt .-%. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the foam regulator emulsion to be sprayed onto the carrier material contains a mixture of silicone oil and paraffin wax in a weight ratio of 2: 1 to 1: 100, in particular 1: 1 to 1:10. A particularly preferably used foam regulator emulsion contains 10% by weight to 40% by weight, in particular 15% by weight to 35% by weight of silicone oil and 50% by weight to 80% by weight of water.

If the foam regulator emulsion useful in this invention contains paraffin wax, a second component of the defoamer system is preferably formed from bis-fatty acid amides. Suitable bisamides are those of saturated fatty acids having 12 to 22, preferably 14 to 18 carbon atoms and of alkylenediamines having 2 to 7 Derive C atoms. Suitable fatty acids are lauric, myristic, stearic, arachic and behenic acid and mixtures thereof, such as those obtainable from natural fats or hardened oils, such as tallow or hydrogenated palm oil. Examples of suitable diamines are ethylenediamine, 1,3-propylenediamine, tetramethylenediamine, pentamethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, p-phenylenediamine and toluenediamine. Preferred diamines are ethylenediamine and hexamethylenediamine. Particularly preferred bisamides are bis-myristoyl-ethylenediamine, bis-palmitoyl-ethylenediamine, bisstearoylethylenediamine and mixtures thereof and the corresponding derivatives of hexamethylenediamine.

Nonionic emulsifiers which can be used in emulsions which can be used according to the invention are, in particular, the alkoxylates, preferably the ethoxylates and / or propoxylates of alcohols, alkylamines, vicinal diols, carboxylic acids and / or carboxamides, the alkyl groups having 8 to 22 C atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, understood. The average degree of alkoxylation of these compounds is generally from 1 to 10, preferably 2 to 5. They can be prepared in a known manner by reaction with the corresponding alkylene oxides. Also, products which can be prepared by alkoxylation of fatty acid alkyl esters having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the ester part according to the method of International Patent Application WO 90/13533 come into question. Suitable alcohol alkoxylates include the ethoxylates and / or propoxylates of linear or branched-chain alcohols having 8 to 22 C atoms, preferably 12 to 18 C atoms. Particularly suitable are the derivatives of fatty alcohols, although their branched-chain isomers can be used for the preparation of usable alkoxylates. Accordingly, in particular the ethoxylates of primary alcohols with linear dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl or octadecyl radicals and mixtures thereof are useful. The use of corresponding alkoxylates of mono- or polyunsaturated fatty alcohols, which include, for example, oleyl alcohol, elaidyl alcohol, linoleyl alcohol, linolenyl alcohol, gadoleyl alcohol and eruca alcohol, is also possible. It is also possible to use esters or partial esters of carboxylic acids of corresponding C chain length with polyols, such as glycerol or oligoglycerol. Preferred anionic emulsifiers are Alkali salts of alkylbenzenesulfonic acids having 9 to 13 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, in particular sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. In addition to such emulsifiers, small amounts, optionally up to 4% by weight, of anionic and / or nonionic cellulose ethers, such as carboxymethylcellulose and / or hydroxyethylcellulose, may be present.

Essential for the preparation according to the invention useful emulsions is that one uses a homogeneous mixture of foam control system and in particular nonionic emulsifier. These can advantageously be achieved in a simple manner by melting the bisamide solid at room temperature in the presence of the paraffin and the emulsifier, expediently with stirring or homogenization. If the bisamide is not used in substance, but prefabricated in admixture with the paraffin, heating beyond the melting point of the bisamide is usually not required, since even at lower temperatures usually forms a solution of the bisamide in the paraffin. Subsequent to the preferably at temperatures in the range of 60 ° C to 150 ° C, in particular 80 ° C to 150 ° C made formation of the mixture of defoamer and emulsifier this is, optionally after cooling, mixed with the water, wherein the water previously a in particular anionic emulsifier may have been added. In this case, the concentration of anionic emulsifier in water is preferably 5 wt% to 15 wt%.

The emulsion obtainable in this way is storage-stable at room temperature and preferably 3 to 60% by weight, in particular 15 to 45% by weight, of the carrier material is applied to it. After spraying the aqueous emulsion, a drying step, for example using conventional fluidized bed dryer, be connected, or bringing the emulsion with simultaneous drying, for example, also in a fluidized bed, on. The foam regulator granules according to the invention or obtainable by the process according to the invention preferably contain 5% by weight to 50% by weight, in particular 8% by weight to 35% by weight, of foam regulator active ingredient.

Examples

306 parts by weight of a Schaumregulatoremulsion obtained according to WO 00/36063, containing 40 wt .-% paraffin wax having a freezing point according to DIN ISO 2207 of 45 ° C and a liquid content at 40 ° C of about 66 wt .-% and 60 ° C of about 96% (Lunaflex®, manufacturer DEA), 6% by weight of bistearyl acid ethylenediamide, 4.5% by weight of silicone oil, 5.5% by weight of anionic (Na dodecylbenzenesulfonate) and 5% by weight nonionic (3-times ethoxylated C _12/14 fatty alcohol, manufacturer Cognis Germany GmbH) emulsifier, balance water, were mixed in a mixer to the presented therein combination of sodium carbonate (704 parts by weight) and citric acid (63 parts by weight) which had previously been mixed with 30 parts by weight of water applied, whereby a granulate formed. This was then dried in a fluidized bed dryer at 80-90 ° C. The foam regulator granules thus obtained were added in an amount of 1 wt .-% to a defoamer-free particulate detergent, which at wash temperatures of 40 ° C, 60 ° C and 90 ° C gave a defoamer performance not behind that when used conventional type of defoamer granules produced backlog. It had a higher grain stability and a smaller amount of fine particles than a correspondingly produced granules, which lacked the Brønsted acid portion or in which it was replaced by polymeric Alkalipolycarboxylat.

Claims (20)

1. A process for the preparation of particulate foam regulating granulates by spraying an aqueous foam regulating emulsion which comprises 16% by weight to 70% by weight of foam regulating active ingredient based on paraffin wax and/or silicone oil, 2% by weight to 15% by weight of nonionic and/or anionic emulsifier, and not more than 80% by weight of water onto a solid carrier material, optionally followed by a drying step, characterized in that the carrier material comprises alkali metal carbonate and a Brønsted acid.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the Brønsted acid is in solid form at 25°C.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the Brønsted acid has a solubility in water of at least 100 g/l at 25°C.
4. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Brønsted acid is chosen from the di- and tricarboxylic acids, their acidic salts, the acidic salts of inorganic acids, in particular NaHSO₄, Na₂HPO₄ and NaH₂PO₄, and mixtures thereof.
5. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carrier material comprises alkali metal carbonate and a Brønsted acid in weight ratios of from 1:1 to 100:1, in particular from 20:3 to 80:3.
6. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the carrier material has 40% by weight to 90% by weight, in particular 60% by weight to 80% by weight, of alkali metal carbonate and 1-20% by weight, in particular 3% by weight to 9% by weight, of a Brønsted acid.
7. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carrier material additionally comprises further detergent or cleaner constituents which are solid and/or formulated in solid form.
8. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that an aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprising 16% by weight to 70% by weight of foam regulating active ingredient based on paraffin wax and/or silicone oil, 2% by weight to 15% by weight of nonionic and/or anionic emulsifier, and not more than 80% by weight of water is used.
9. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that an aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprising 15% by weight to 60% by weight of paraffin wax or a mixture of paraffin wax and silicone oil, 1% by weight to 10% by weight of bis-fatty acid amide deriving from C_2-7-diamines and C_12-22-fatty acids, 2% by weight to 15% by weight of nonionic and/or anionic emulsifier, and not more than 80% by weight of water is used.
10. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprises 30% by weight to 50% by weight of paraffin wax or a mixture of paraffin wax and silicone oil.
11. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprises a mixture of silicone oil and paraffin wax in the weight ratio 2:1 to 1:100, in particular 1:1 to 1:10.
12. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the paraffin wax is solid at room temperature and is in completely liquid form at 100°C.
13. The process as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the paraffin wax has a liquid fraction of at least 50% by weight, in particular of 55% by weight, at 40°C, and a liquid fraction of at least 90% by weight at 60°C.
14. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprises 3% by weight to 8% by weight of bis-fatty acid amide deriving from C_2-7-diamines and C_12-22-fatty acids.
15. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the aqueous foam regulating emulsion has a content of silicone oil in the range from 0.1% by weight to 10% by weight, in particular 1% by weight to 5% by weight.
16. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the aqueous foam regulating emulsion comprises 3% by weight to 10% by weight of nonionic and/or anionic emulsifier.
17. The process as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the nonionic emulsifier is chosen from the alkoxylates, in particular the ethoxylates and/or propoxylates of alcohols, alkylamines, vicinal diols and/or carboxamides which have alkyl groups with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and whose average degree of alkoxylation is from 1 to 10, in particular 2 to 5.
18. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that a formulation granulation is carried out in a granulation mixer in such a way that an amount of from 40 to 110 parts by weight, in particular 60 to 90 parts by weight, of carrier material is intensively mixed and, with granulation, an amount of from 15 to 50 parts by weight, in particular 25 to 35 parts by weight, of the foam regulating emulsion, optionally heated to a temperature in the range from 70°C to 180°C, is added.
19. The process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the Brønsted acid is citric acid.
20. A particulate foam regulating agent which can be used in detergents or cleaners and comprises foam regulating active ingredient based on paraffin wax and/or silicone oil, nonionic and/or anionic emulsifier and solid carrier material, characterized in that the carrier material comprises alkali metal carbonate and a Brønsted acid.